This extension task on reporting verbs involves students reporting a dialogue between a police inspector and a suspect. Can students report what was said with the correct verbs?

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Read through the instructions with the students and outline the language and vocabulary requirements of the task. Give students a time limit of between 15-20 minutes depending on their ability.

3. Monitor the students and provide language input or inspiration when appropriate. Don't worry about errors at this stage.

4. The best feedback for this task involves collecting the work and marking it. To lessen your workload, reduce the number of words/time in the task. Feedback common errors on the board at the next opportunity.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Read through the instructions with the students and outline the language and vocabulary requirements of the task. Give students a time limit of between 15-20 minutes depending on their ability.

3. Monitor the students and provide language input or inspiration when appropriate. Don't worry about errors at this stage.

4. The best feedback for this task involves collecting the work and marking it. To lessen your workload, reduce the number of words/time in the task. Feedback common errors on the board at the next opportunity.

Type:

A meaning from context reading activity

Skill:

Reading

Time:

10 minutes

Stage:

Reading

Work:

Students work individually

Focus:

A Day at the Seaside

Bill Bryson's descriptive style means that this vocabulary handout is extremely useful for the challenging text about a day at the Maine seaside.

1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Get students to do a gist reading task, usually contained in the book, although you may want to set your own task.

3. When students have a basic idea of the content of the text get them to read it in more detail with this accompanying worksheet. Students read the text and choose the correct meaning of the words on the handout a or b.

4. For feedback, get students to tell you the correct meaning of the words, a or b.

5. You may want to continue now with the reading task set in the book, or the grammar that comes from the reading if there is any. To see if your students can remember the words why not get them to cover them up and recall the meanings from memory?

1. Copy one handout for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Get students to do a gist reading task, usually contained in the book, although you may want to set your own task.

3. When students have a basic idea of the content of the text get them to read it in more detail with this accompanying worksheet. Students read the text and choose the correct meaning of the words on the handout a or b.

4. For feedback, get students to tell you the correct meaning of the words, a or b.

5. You may want to continue now with the reading task set in the book, or the grammar that comes from the reading if there is any. To see if your students can remember the words why not get them to cover them up and recall the meanings from memory?

Type:

A meaning from context reading activity

Skill:

Reading

Time:

10 minutes

Stage:

Reading

Work:

Students work individually

Focus:

A Dog's Life

Your lesson will be as easy as a dog's life with this handy handout which deals with tricky vocabulary littered in the aforementioned article. Features a funny communication task concerned with the role of pets in society.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Get students to do a gist reading task, usually contained in the book, although you may want to set your own task.

3. When students have a basic idea of the content of the text get them to read it in more detail with this accompanying worksheet. Students read the text and choose the correct meaning of the words on the handout a or b.

4. For feedback, get students to tell you the correct meaning of the words, a or b.

5. You may want to continue now with the reading task set in the book, or the grammar that comes from the reading if there is any. For some free speaking related to the content of the reading, prompt students to discuss the questions in part B.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Get students to do a gist reading task, usually contained in the book, although you may want to set your own task.

3. When students have a basic idea of the content of the text get them to read it in more detail with this accompanying worksheet. Students read the text and choose the correct meaning of the words on the handout a or b.

4. For feedback, get students to tell you the correct meaning of the words, a or b.

5. You may want to continue now with the reading task set in the book, or the grammar that comes from the reading if there is any. For some free speaking related to the content of the reading, prompt students to discuss the questions in part B.

Type:

An individual extended writing task

Skill:

Writing

Time:

20-30 minutes

Stage:

Free writing practice

Work:

Students work individually

Focus:

A Tourism Guide

For an extension task giving students higher level practice of articles, get students to do this extension task. Students describe the cultural attractions of their capital city in the form of a short tourist guide.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Read through the instructions with the students and outline the language and vocabulary requirements of the task. Give students a generous time limit of between 20-30 minutes depending on their ability.

3. Monitor the students and provide language input or inspiration when appropriate. Don't worry about errors at this stage.

4. The best feedback for this task involves collecting the work and marking it. To lessen your workload, reduce the number of words/time in the task. Feedback common errors on the board at the next opportunity.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Read through the instructions with the students and outline the language and vocabulary requirements of the task. Give students a generous time limit of between 20-30 minutes depending on their ability.

3. Monitor the students and provide language input or inspiration when appropriate. Don't worry about errors at this stage.

4. The best feedback for this task involves collecting the work and marking it. To lessen your workload, reduce the number of words/time in the task. Feedback common errors on the board at the next opportunity.

Type:

A meaning from context reading activity

Skill:

Reading

Time:

10 minutes

Stage:

Reading

Work:

Students work individually

Focus:

A Woman Obsessed

This handout focuses on the life of Ellen MacArthur, the renowned female round-the-world sailor. For the reading of the same name in Total English Upper-Intermediate, use this worksheet to guide students through the text, and generate discussion after.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Get students to do a gist reading task, usually contained in the book, although you may want to set your own task.

3. When students have a basic idea of the content of the text get them to read it in more detail with this accompanying worksheet. Students read the text and choose the correct meaning of the words on the handout a or b.

4. For feedback, get students to tell you the correct meaning of the words, a or b.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Get students to do a gist reading task, usually contained in the book, although you may want to set your own task.

3. When students have a basic idea of the content of the text get them to read it in more detail with this accompanying worksheet. Students read the text and choose the correct meaning of the words on the handout a or b.

4. For feedback, get students to tell you the correct meaning of the words, a or b.

Type:

A debating game

Skill:

Speaking

Time:

15 minutes

Stage:

Lead-in/Extended speaking task

Work:

Students work in pairs

Focus:

Accession to the EU

With the 2004 and 2007 enlargements, the EU is getting bigger and bigger. But how big can it get? Here, students play top diplomats in a debating game with the aim for students to persuade their partner to admit more new countries; from Iceland to Turkey.

1. Copy one handout for each pair of students, and cut the handouts in two.

2. Put the students into pairs, and distribute a half handout to each individual student.

3. Focus students' attention on the instructions. In this exercise, students choose two countries from their handout and try to persuade their partner to admit the countries into the EU. Get the students to brainstorm the benefits the countries could bring and also get them to mitigate the downsides.

4. Allow students around five minutes preparation and the same presentation time to make their cases. When one person has made both their cases, swap.

5. Finally, elicit the results of the bargaining from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.

1. Copy one handout for each pair of students, and cut the handouts in two.

2. Put the students into pairs, and distribute a half handout to each individual student.

3. Focus students' attention on the instructions. In this exercise, students choose two countries from their handout and try to persuade their partner to admit the countries into the EU. Get the students to brainstorm the benefits the countries could bring and also get them to mitigate the downsides.

4. Allow students around five minutes preparation and the same presentation time to make their cases. When one person has made both their cases, swap.

5. Finally, elicit the results of the bargaining from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.

Type:

A crossword activity

Skill:

Writing

Time:

15 minutes

Stage:

Vocabulary writing practice

Work:

Students work individually

Focus:

Adjective Building

Forming adjectives from other root words such as nouns is the objective of this crossword, where students convert an array of abstract nouns into adjectives.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Focus students' attention on the instructions and the clues. Students can complete the crossword individually or in pairs.

3. For feedback, students can write the answers on the board or contribute them orally.

1. Copy one sheet for each individual student and distribute them.

2. Focus students' attention on the instructions and the clues. Students can complete the crossword individually or in pairs.

3. For feedback, students can write the answers on the board or contribute them orally.

Type:

A group taboo game

Skill:

Speaking

Time:

20 minutes

Stage:

Vocabulary speaking practice

Work:

Students work in groups of 4 with 2 teams of 2

Focus:

Adjective Building

This taboo game is a great way for learners to acquire new words and practise explaining a range of familiar adjectives. High level adjectives feature, including 'perpetual', 'fluffy', and 'grieving'.

1. Copy one handout per pair of students, and cut the handouts up into A and B.

2. Put the students into groups of four, with two A students and two B students.

3. Focus students' attention on the instructions and make sure students aren't looking at each other's sheets. Emphasise that the teams must explain the adjectives to each other without saying the three words underneath. If the team successfully explains the word it gets a point. If the team doesn't manage to explain the word (a time limit of 2 minutes is useful) it doesn't get any points. Note that if a member of the team says one of the three forbidden words underneath, the opposing team gets a point.

4. Teams can keep the score on a piece of paper and the team with the most points, wins.

6. Finally elicit responses from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.

1. Copy one handout per pair of students, and cut the handouts up into A and B.

2. Put the students into groups of four, with two A students and two B students.

3. Focus students' attention on the instructions and make sure students aren't looking at each other's sheets. Emphasise that the teams must explain the adjectives to each other without saying the three words underneath. If the team successfully explains the word it gets a point. If the team doesn't manage to explain the word (a time limit of 2 minutes is useful) it doesn't get any points. Note that if a member of the team says one of the three forbidden words underneath, the opposing team gets a point.

4. Teams can keep the score on a piece of paper and the team with the most points, wins.

6. Finally elicit responses from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.

Type:

A pair work activity

Skill:

Speaking

Time:

15 minutes

Stage:

Vocabulary speaking practice

Work:

Students work in pairs

Focus:

Adjective Building

Get word types right with this peer correction speaking handout involving deliberate mistakes of word types which learners must identify by ear, then correct with their partner.

1. Copy one handout per pair of students, and cut the handouts up into A and B.

2. Put the students into pairs with an A and B student, and distribute the handouts.

3. Focus students' attention on the instructions and make sure students aren't looking at each other's sheets. The aim of this task is for students to listen and perceive mistakes in word types involving nouns, verbs and crucially adjectives. Students rephrase the mistaken sentences they hear using the correct adjective form of the word.

5. Finally, elicit responses from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.

1. Copy one handout per pair of students, and cut the handouts up into A and B.

2. Put the students into pairs with an A and B student, and distribute the handouts.

3. Focus students' attention on the instructions and make sure students aren't looking at each other's sheets. The aim of this task is for students to listen and perceive mistakes in word types involving nouns, verbs and crucially adjectives. Students rephrase the mistaken sentences they hear using the correct adjective form of the word.

5. Finally, elicit responses from some of the students and draw to their attention any appropriate vocabulary or serious language mistakes.

Type:

A vocabulary challenge

Skill:

Writing

Time:

20 minutes

Stage:

Vocabulary writing practice

Work:

Students work individually

Focus:

Adjective Building

This handout offers learners a substantial practice of adjective formation using a range of common and uncommon adjective suffixes. The learners, working in pairs, make adjectives by choosing the appropriate suffix for a range of nouns and verbs.

1. Copy one handout for each individual student. Put the learners into pairs and give out the handouts one between two (to ensure better pair work).

2. Focus learners' attentions on the instructions and the different adjective suffixes. The aim of this activity is for the learners to have their awareness of adjective formation raised by doing a language discovery activity. Explain that the learners need to match the various adjective suffixes in the boxes with the words in the middle. Use the first word as an example; decide (verb) → decisive (adjective).

3. Monitor the students, and when appropriate provide any necessary vocabulary input or clarification.

4. For feedback, elicit the answers on the board or handout the answer sheet. Clarify the meaning of any of the adjectives should any questions arise.

5. Draw students' attentions to any appropriate adjective formation patterns and drill any words the learners have difficulty pronouncing. Why not test the learners later in the lesson or during the next lesson by revisiting the activity?

1. Copy one handout for each individual student. Put the learners into pairs and give out the handouts one between two (to ensure better pair work).

2. Focus learners' attentions on the instructions and the different adjective suffixes. The aim of this activity is for the learners to have their awareness of adjective formation raised by doing a language discovery activity. Explain that the learners need to match the various adjective suffixes in the boxes with the words in the middle. Use the first word as an example; decide (verb) → decisive (adjective).

3. Monitor the students, and when appropriate provide any necessary vocabulary input or clarification.

4. For feedback, elicit the answers on the board or handout the answer sheet. Clarify the meaning of any of the adjectives should any questions arise.

5. Draw students' attentions to any appropriate adjective formation patterns and drill any words the learners have difficulty pronouncing. Why not test the learners later in the lesson or during the next lesson by revisiting the activity?